Tuesday, August 31, 2010

I don't get excited about many new book releases. I'm too backed up on books I've never read to care. However, Brandon Sanderson's up front and always on promotion for his writing (from finishing The Wheel of Time to Mistborn), has made me a fan. With his new novel, The Way of Kings, releasing today, I wanted to share a blurb from a post on Tor.com about why this book is worth buying:

Well, finally—after two decades of writing—Tor has given me the chance to share The Way of Kings with you. They’ve taken a risk on this book. At every juncture, they agreed to do as I asked, often choosing the more expensive option as it was a better artistic decision. Michael Whelan on the cover. 400K words in length. Almost thirty full page interior illustrations. High-end printing processes in order to make the interior art look crisp and beautiful. A piece of in-world writing on the back cover, rather than a long list of marketing blurbs. Interludes inside the book that added to the length, and printing costs, but which fleshed out the world and the story in ways I’d always dreamed of doing

If that doesn't make sense, let me use a gaming analogy. This is essentially an indie developer going to EA and telling them that they will release his indie game the way he wants it released. It's not saying that Brandon was rude or out of place making these demands of Tor (his publisher), but made the case that this will make the experience better. Tor believed him and made at least one customer happy by doing so.

I am excited to get my copy. Get yours via Amazon or your favorite local book retailer.

I don't get excited about many new book releases. I'm too backed up on books I've never read to care. However, Brandon Sanderson's up front and always on promotion for his writing (from finishing The Wheel of Time to Mistborn), has made me a fan. With his new novel, The Way of Kings, releasing today, I wanted to share a blurb from a post on Tor.com about why this book is worth buying:

Well, finally—after two decades of writing—Tor has given me the chance to share The Way of Kings with you. They’ve taken a risk on this book. At every juncture, they agreed to do as I asked, often choosing the more expensive option as it was a better artistic decision. Michael Whelan on the cover. 400K words in length. Almost thirty full page interior illustrations. High-end printing processes in order to make the interior art look crisp and beautiful. A piece of in-world writing on the back cover, rather than a long list of marketing blurbs. Interludes inside the book that added to the length, and printing costs, but which fleshed out the world and the story in ways I’d always dreamed of doing

If that doesn't make sense, let me use a gaming analogy. This is essentially an indie developer going to EA and telling them that they will release his indie game the way he wants it released. It's not saying that Brandon was rude or out of place making these demands of Tor (his publisher), but made the case that this will make the experience better. Tor believed him and made at least one customer happy by doing so.

I am excited to get my copy. Get yours via Amazon or your favorite local book retailer.